IBD Unveils Active Armour Tech to Protect Main Battle Tanks

IBD Deisenroth Engineering (IBD), a German company specialized in production of protection systems for military vehicles has unveiled new active armour technologies to protect main battle tanks and medium to heavy armoured fighting platforms against tandem warhead threats.

The  two technologies namely Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) and Active Protection Systems (APS)   have been designed to counter charge threats. The impact of a threat on an ERA module ,triggers an explosive charge expelling steel plates to defeat the shaped charge jet; whereas  APS,  is designed to defeat the threat before it hits the vehicle, Janes reported last Friday.

Early warning sensors are distributed around the platform to detect and track an incoming threat, and a countermeasure is subsequently launched from a launcher or directly from the hull to destroy the warhead.

"Both of the technologies have their disadvantages, said Michael Rust, Head of Marketing & Sales at IBD was quoted by the publication as saying.

“Tandem Shaped Charges have been specifically developed to defeat ERA protection. A pre-charge triggers the ERA module, the following main charge hits an empty area and can easily penetrate the hull. All components – sensors,controllers, software, launchers, countermeasures (CMs), and power supply – require thorough integration with the platform, and harmonisation with the passive protection system,” he added.